the space in between
by chessboardsandcheckmates
Summary: Anna and Elsa's relationship has spanned quite a few years. From their first date, to graduation, and beyond. And Kristoff has been there every step of the way. Elsa/Anna, Anna/Kristoff friendship


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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The first time she comes to him about Elsa, it's nine in the morning on a Saturday and he is passed out in his dorm room.

"Kristoff, wake up!"

He feels a hand on his arm, shaking him out of a particularly good dream, and bats it away.

"Stop…it's early. Leave me alone."

"I can't," Anna sighs, lying on top of him so that he is crushed under her full body weight. "Something happened last night and now…now I'm totally freaking out and I really, really need your help."

"Anna, not right now," he mumbles, burying his face into his pillow. "Why are you even awake? It's the _weekend_."

"I know," she says, and she rolls over so that now, at least, Kristoff can breathe properly. "But this is really important."

Now that there's little hope of falling back asleep, Kristoff sits up and rubs at his eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm awake. I'm up."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." He yawns and stretches out his arms a bit. "So. What's the big emergency?"

"Well…I have a date tonight!"

Kristoff stares at her blankly.

"You have a date."

"Yes."

"That's why you're here?"

"Yes!"

Kristoff bites down to keep himself from screaming.

"Anna?"

"Mmhm?"

"Get out of my room."

"No, no you don't understand!" she cuts in. "I have a date with _Elsa_."

"Wait," he pauses. "Elsa, as in, the girl you've been crushing on for the past year?"

"Yes!" And suddenly Anna's whole face lights up. "I saw her at a party last night and, you know me, I'm no good at parties, but neither is she, I guess, and I introduced myself and she said I was beautiful, can you believe that? And so I told her she was beautifuller, obviously, and then we talked and talked and talked, and now she wants to go out with me, you know, tonight! But I'm really nervous and I have no idea what to wear. Do I buy a dress? Or-or do I wear something more casual? I really need your help!"

Kristoff eyes her warily.

"So…you want me to take you shopping."

"Yes!" Anna breathes, staring at him with those big puppy eyes. Like that's going to work. Like that's going to get him to waste a perfectly good Saturday at the freaking mall.

But, he thinks, Anna does look nervous. Really nervous. And his heart kind of goes out to her.

"Okay, I'll do it," Kristoff says, and then he stands up and starts fishing around for his mug. "But I'm gonna need some coffee first."

Anna's arms are around his neck a second later.

"Thank you," she says, and he manages a tired smile.

"Sure."

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The second time she comes to him with her relationship problems, Kristoff is in the middle of a Star Trek marathon. When she turns off the TV and switches on the lights, he cringes and sees spots for the next twenty seconds.

And then Anna is pacing back and forth and rambling at him and it's all Kristoff can do not to hold up the remote and try to "mute" her voice away.

"I just can't believe her! And Elsa doesn't even get why I'm mad!"

"Uh, Anna?" Kristoff scratches the back of his neck. "I don't really get it either…"

"What do you not get? We went to the campus formal and Gwen showed up and then Elsa was practically throwing herself at the girl all night."

"Anna, I really doubt that. Elsa was probably just being polite."

"No, Kristoff, she was flirting!"

He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Come on Anna. Does Elsa even know _how_ to flirt?"

Silence.

"Huh. Good point."

"See?" Kristoff smiles. "It was all a big misunder-"

"No, wait! Sometimes she does that suggestive half-smile thing! Oh, don't even act like you don't know what I'm talking about-"

"Anna," Kristoff pulls her onto the couch with him and wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Look, this is silly. And you're not really the jealous type. Lots of people have flirted with Elsa and it's never bothered you before. So…what's this really about?"

Anna looks like she wants to argue with him, but then her whole body just sort of deflates. After a moment she snuggles closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder.

"It's just…Elsa's really beautiful, you know? Just so, so gorgeous. And I'm so…average. And, and Elsa has her powers, and they're wonderful and amazing and…and sometimes it feels like maybe she deserves someone better. Someone more, I don't know, special. Someone more like Gwen."

"Anna," Kristoff nudges her shoulder lightly. "You _are _special. You're…kind of the best person I know. You're funny and-and optimistic and…also really, really weird. In the best way, I mean. And Elsa sees all of that."

Anna glances up at him, hopeful.

"You really think so?"

"I know so. God, Elsa adores you. I have never had a conversation with her that isn't about you. You, you, you. We're part of the same study group and, oh, if someone even mentions your name she just starts blushing and smiling and…it's actually kind of disgusting."

He can feel Anna smiling against his shoulder. After a moment she pulls away.

"Hey, Kristoff?"

"Yeah?"

"You're the best person I know, too."

It's half an hour and two mugs of hot chocolate later when there's a soft knock at the door. Kristoff swings it open and Elsa is standing there holding a rose made totally out of ice, looking sorrier than he's ever seen her. Even though she probably has nothing to apologize for.

"Can I see Anna, please?"

He grins and takes a step back.

"Come on in."

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"Elsa doesn't want to introduce me to her parents."

"Uh huh."

Kristoff doesn't take his eyes off of his history paper. Not for a second. It's due in two hours and he needs every minute he's got.

"I mean is she ashamed of me or something?"

Kristoff laughs, underlining a few of his own typos and making a note to go back and fix them.

"Anna, I really doubt that."

"Well then what is it? Because we're gonna be getting married after I graduate this year and I can't send her family invitations if they don't even know me."

"Maybe she's scared that they'll reject her. You're a girl, and Elsa comes from a long line of really wealthy, stuck up conservatives."

Kristoff finds a sentence that is really poorly phrased and circles it.

Anna's phone buzzes a moment later and she ignores it.

But then it keeps buzzing and distracting Kristoff from his work, so he sighs and leans over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"…Anna?"

"No, it's Kristoff."

"Is Anna with you?"

"Yup, right here. Distracting me from writing my history final."

Anna throws him a look.

"Well…" Elsa pauses, searching for the right words. "Just…tell her that I love her."

"Will do."

"And that…I'll talk to my parents this Friday, after work."

"Okay."

"And…Kristoff?"

"Yeah?"

"Just…is she still wearing the ring?"

Kristoff glances over at the huge diamond on Anna's finger.

"Yeah," he nods. "She is."

"Okay." Elsa sounds relieved. "Okay, good."

After Elsa hangs up, Kristoff turns to face Anna and smiles.

"Wow," he says. "That girl really, really loves you."

Anna frowns.

"Okay, you're supposed to be on my side here."

"I am," he says. "Always."

And Anna leans forward to hug him.

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It's nearly midnight the next time.

Kristoff tiptoes to the door and gently pulls it open. He tries to keep his movements as quiet as possible, because his girlfriend is not going to be happy if she's woken up.

He is about to tell Anna to get lost, because he has to work tomorrow morning, but then he catches a glimpse of her face and he immediately pulls her inside.

They sit on the couch and she cries in his arms for the next half hour, until his shirt is completely soaked. Until Anna's eyes are red and puffy. Finally she looks up at him and says, her voice cracked and hoarse,

"Elsa doesn't want to have a baby."

This brings on a whole new wave of tears and Kristoff presses a kiss to the side of her head.

"Anna, I'm sure that's not true."

"I told her I couldn't carry. I mean, my doctor says it would be a bad idea. So I figured Elsa would just have the baby, so I asked her tonight if _she_would carry-" Anna stops to blow her nose. "If she would have the baby, but then she got all upset and freaked out and the whole room got really icy and scary-"

She buries her face in his shoulder and Kristoff really has no idea what to do except hand her a dozen more Kleenex.

When the doorbell rings ten minutes later, he bolts up to get it.

He sees Elsa standing there and he is about to give her a piece of his mind, but she brushes right past him.

"Anna?"

Elsa rushes over to her and sinks down to her knees.

"You're okay," she breathes, relieved, and she pulls Anna into her. "I'm so sorry."

Anna lets Elsa hold her for a while and stays perfectly still as Elsa presses kiss after kiss to her cheeks.

"I want a baby," Anna says finally, when Elsa has calmed down enough to pay attention to her.

"Anna," Elsa shakes her head. "I can't."

"I don't care if the baby has powers!" Anna blurts out. "I'd love him or-or her even more! Elsa, your powers are _so_ wonderful."

Kristoff clears his throat and motions to the kitchen.

"I'll just…be in there. Making us all some tea."

When he's gone, Anna looks at Elsa expectantly.

"It's lonely," Elsa says, after a short pause. "Having powers, being different. It's lonely."

"Our child won't be lonely," Anna insists, and she squeezes Elsa's freezing hands in her own. "I promise."

Anna leans in to kiss her and when their lips finally connect, Elsa sinks into it.

"I want a baby," Anna says again, and looks right at Elsa. "I want a baby with _you_."

Kristoff reenters and places three mugs of tea onto the coffee table. That's when Gwen steps out of the bedroom, squinting at the scene before her. She blinks, makes eye contact with Kristoff, and then just walks back the way she came.

Great. Now he's got some explaining to do.

"Please," Anna presses her forehead to Elsa's. "Please do this for me."

It is a few long moments before Elsa nods and murmurs a soft,

"Okay."

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The fifth time, _he_ comes to _her_.

Which is only fitting, considering Anna's wife is in labor.

"She doesn't want me in the delivery room."

They have been sitting in the hospital waiting room for over an hour and Anna is starting to get antsy.

"She just doesn't want you to get hurt," Kristoff reasons. "She probably won't have control of her powers while she's…pushing."

"But I should be there! I'm her wife, I should be holding her hand and supporting her!"

"Anna, I really don't think-"

"Excuse me?" A nurse gently taps Anna on the shoulder. "Is your name Anna?"

"Yes, it is. Wait…oh my gosh is Elsa okay? Is the baby-"

"No, no, everything's fine. But your wife is asking for you."

Anna bolts out of her chair before the woman even finishes her sentence and Kristoff follows after her.

Miraculously, Elsa's room is not covered in ice. She's lying in the hospital bed cradling the new baby in her arms. Elsa looks exhausted, Kristoff thinks, but really happy.

"Oh my gosh."

Anna has already scooped the baby up into her arms and is oohing and ahhing at her like a total crazy person. Elsa beams at Anna and watches her poke the baby's nose and play with her tiny little fingers.

"You are so, so pretty," Anna whispers, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead. "And I love you so, so much."

Elsa watches the two of them from her bed with a small, tired smile.

"Elsa, she looks just like you! Right down to her little feet."

Kristoff turns to leave so that they can have a moment alone, but Anna pulls him back.

"Baby, meet Uncle Kristoff!"

"Wait, uncle?"

Before he can ask more about that, the baby is in his arms staring up at him. Her big blue eyes are drinking him in and he clears his throat awkwardly.

"Uh, hi there," he says, and rocks her back and forth a little. "It's really nice to meet you."

The baby gurgles and blinks at him a few times. Kristoff kisses one of her soft cheeks and earns himself a big smile.

"Okay, Elsa, you really made an adorable kid."

When Elsa doesn't respond, Kristoff looks up to find Anna crouched by the bed, holding Elsa's hand to her chest.

"Thank you," she whispers. "She's perfect."

Elsa smiles and gently brushes her thumb over Anna's cheek.

"You're perfect," she says, and Anna laughs and surges forward to kiss her.

"Aw," Kristoff smiles down at the baby. "Aren't your mommies cute?"

The baby smiles back at him, but then her face starts to scrunch up. When she sneezes, a few snowflakes pops out of her fingertips. Kristoff immediately glances over at Anna and Elsa, but they are too busy staring into each other's eyes to notice.

And they look so happy together, so excited about the new addition to their life.

Kristoff doesn't have the heart to ruin it. Not yet.

"I love you so much," Anna says, and Elsa pulls her into a warm hug. But then Anna is standing and moving towards the baby.

"And I love _you _so much!" she coos, kissing the baby's face a few times.

Kristoff grins and his grip on the baby tightens just a little bit.

"And I know we don't really talk about it or anything," Anna says, kind of shy all of a sudden as she looks at Kristoff. "But I…I mean, I've always-"

"I love you too," he says, and when Anna's lips breaks into a smile he pulls her into him, careful not to squish the baby.

"I'm really glad you're here," she mumbles. For now. For freshman year. For all the time in between. And Kristoff nods against her hair.

"I'm glad, too."


End file.
